Take a hike, you won't regret it

Q: Is there a North American equivalent to the European hike from town to town? I'd like to hike during the day and spend the evening in a small town.

A: Europe's hiking trails are like nature's interstates, linking the great outdoors to pockets of civilisation.

North America doesn't have such a pervasive or unbroken network of routes, but in some regions, towns do pop up between mile markers. "Backpacking Europe is an experience culturally comparable to that of the American road trip,'' says Andrea Ketchmark, outreach coordinator of the Silver Spring, Maryland-based American Hiking Society (+1 301-565-6704, www.americanhiking.org). "It is harder in the US, because it is so far from place to place. ‘'

However, if you're flexible and have a lot of stamina, here are some options:

• On the East Coast, Ketchmark recommends the Appalachian Trail section from North Adams, Massachusetts, to Kent, Connecticut.
  
  The 140-mile stretch of the National Scenic Trail passes through such quintessentially New England towns as Great Barrington, Massachusetts, rife with bed-and-breakfasts, shopping and Berkshires culture. Info: Appalachian Trail Conservancy, +1 304-535-6331, www.-appalachia-ntrail.org. For more structure, Country Inns Along the Trail (+1 800-838-3301, www.inntoinn.-com) has self-guided trips in Vermont, including an excursion along the Long Trail, with stays in eight inns. Cost: $1,155 (Dh4,241) per person double.
• Switching coasts to Northern California, start at Bolinas, then follow the San Andreas fault through Olema Valley (try the Olema Inn; +1 415-663-9559, www.theolemainn.com) and onward to Point Reyes National Seashore.
• In the Colorado Rockies, trek along Forest Service roads from the old mining town of Leadville to high-end Aspen. The route takes about three nights, so plan on sleeping in the 10th Mountain Division Huts (+1 970-925-5775, www.hu-ts.org), backcountry cabins connected by 350 miles of routes. The summer hiking season ends in September, in preparation for winter.
• Up north, the Trans Canada Trail will eventually go from the Atlantic to the Pacific and onto the Arctic Ocean, and will cross every Canadian province and territory in between. On the island of Newfoundland, for example, the route goes from St John's to Port aux Basque, with about 40 small communities offering food and rest along the way. Info: +1 800-465-3636, www.tctrail.ca.
  
  For other US trails as well as state-specific hikes and maps, see American Trails (+1 530-547-2060, www.am-ericantrails.org).

Q: What are some good places in Sedona, Arizona, to see the red rocks and sunsets?

A: With the Coconico National Forest surrounding the Arizona town, Sedona truly is Red Rock Country. For sweeping views framed by Technicolor sunsets, Jennifer Wesselhoff, vice president of the Sedona Chamber of Commerce Tourism Bureau (+1 800-288-7336, www.visitsedon-a.com), recommends three standout spots.

At the Airport Road overlook, the 180-degree panorama of Sedona includes such landmarks as Thunder Mountain and Coxcombs. For a more intimate viewing station, try Schnebly Hill Road, an unpaved route that was the original thoroughfare to Flagstaff. And to take in Cathedral Rock, hike around Red Rock Crossing/Crescent Moon Ranch, a day-use area on US Forest Service land, or Bell Rock Pathway, off Highway 179.

To have the red rock scenery outside your hotel room window, try the Enchantment Resort (+1 800-826-4180, www.enchantmentresort.com), Amara Creekside Resort (+1 866-455-6610, www.amararesort.com) or Sky Ranch Lodge (+1 888-708-6400, www.skyranchlod-ge.com).

Q: I have a 10-hour layover in San Francisco. Are there any sightseeing buses I can take from the airport?

A: Tour buses do not depart directly from San Francisco International, but Bay Area Rapid Transit travels from the airport to many sights in San Francisco. SFO's website (www.flysfo.com) lists the top BART stops for visitors and a link to the train's website.

However, to make the most of your layover, Tim Zahler, a spokesman for the San Francisco Convention and Visitors Bureau (+1 415-391-2000, www.onlyinsanfrancisco.com), suggests a full-day loop that starts and ends at the airport.

His itinerary: Grab BART to Powell Station (about 35 minutes), then take the F Line to the Ferry Building. Head to Fisherman's Wharf for a cruise and the Buena Vista Café, where the first Irish coffee was served in America. Next, hop on a cable car to the Cable Car Bar and walk through Chinatown, to Union Station, and back to Powell Station. If you have time left, visit the airport's aquarium, aviation museum or art exhibits.

Q: I'd like to transit the Panama Canal on a merchant ship, embarking on the Gulf Coast and disembarking in California. Is this possible?

A: Freighter-ship journeys are like a workingman's cruise ship, with passengers accompanying cargo from port to port — but still logging in many sightseeing hours. But freighters hardly cater to the casual cruiser.

"There is no short way of going from Florida to the Panama Canal and back,'' says Captain Ranko Zunic, owner of Maris Freighter and Specialty Cruises (+1 800-996-2747, www.freigh-tercruises.com), which specialises in freighter travel.

"The only way is to sail from the East Coast (of the US) to the west coast of South America.''

Freighter-ship itineraries are frequently long, with a one-way adventure from the Eastern Seaboard to South America lasting at least three weeks (cost: about $2,500/Dh9,181). Maritime law forbids passengers from jumping ship, so you must stay put until the final port. (Passengers can leave midtrip only in an emergency.)

Another factor to consider: the limited number of ships and cabins available to cruisers.

"One per cent of freighters take passengers,'' Zunic says. In addition, freighters can take no more than a dozen passengers per trip, and some take half that.

Because of the short supply, travellers often need to book five months to a year in advance. The ships also require passengers to be fit and may have age restrictions.

Other companies that book freight travel: Freighter World Cruises (+1 800-531-7774, www.fre-ighterworld.com) and TravLtips (+1 800-872-8584, www.travltips.com).